Almost Paradise
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: Something goes amiss whilst Connor and Abby are on their honeymoon, stranding them once again.
1. Chapter 1

Almost Paradise  
2012 Evenstar Estel

Chapter 1

The first week of their honeymoon on the glorious South Pacific island of Rarotonga was primarily spent in their lush king sized bed making love. They paused for food, sleep and occasionally to venture out to lounge in the sun on their section of the hotel's private beach. Abby had always wanted to visit the South Pacific and Connor thought their honeymoon the perfect opportunity. They had two weeks to bask, relax and escape their hectic London lives. They hadn't a care in the world and so far away from anomalies and the ARC, they could indulge in nothing but their love for each other.

The wedding had been an intimate affair with only their friends in attendance. Connor had no real family to speak of since his mother's passing whilst they'd been in the Cretaceous. Aside from a few cousins he barely knew he had no one, and Abby had only Jack who, despite being invited, didn't show. Her disappointment had her crying that morning before she'd put on her dress, but when Jess had gone and told Connor, he'd come to her and comforted her. He knew how important it was to her that her brother walk her down the aisle, but like so much in her life before she'd come into the sphere of her husband to be, she'd been let down again. It took Connor's kisses and assurances that he was her family now and she'd never be alone again that gave her the confidence and solace she'd needed.

They spoke their vows solemnly and sealed their union with a far too passionate kiss for the little church that had housed the ceremony. They'd spent their wedding night in their new flat, then been at the airport the following afternoon. The journey had been long and despite having first class seats, rather uncomfortable. Finally reaching their hotel room, they'd collapsed and slept for hours. Their first day on the island consisted of indulging in food and sex. The following days brought more of the same and continued until finally they'd agreed that they ought to explore their paradise beyond the bedroom.

The staff at the hotel were exceptionally helpful and arranged for one of the local fishermen to take them island hopping on his boat. It was a common practice and often made the locals more than twice the money they could with a full day's catch. They set out at dawn, with Connor and Abby sitting on the bow of the boat with their feet over the edge. They caught the full panoramic view of the crystalline blue waters of the South Pacific. Dressed in shorts and a tshirt over her little white coloured bikini, Abby laughed and nearly cried when a pod of dolphins came swimming up to the boat and nudged the bottom of her feet with their noses and chittered at her.

It took a couple of hours to reach the strait of tiny islands that was their destination. This small grouping were not the usual ones the tourists favoured. The fisherman and his skipper kept them a secret so to ensure themselves the best catch of Orange Roughy and to give their charges more for their money. The islands were completely unpopulated and rarely visited by anyone. It was just the sort of adventure Connor and Abby were after. However, what they were most definitely not expecting was the ominous shadow in the distance that seemed to be advancing on the small vessel as an alarming speed.

"Connor?" Abby questioned, following him as he quickly moved to stand at the edge of the bow. There was no time. Connor pulled her away, grabbed the rucksack he'd brought with them and practically threw her into the water.

"Swim!" he shouted as they breached the surface. "Don't look back, just swim Abby!"

She spared a moment to observe as the creature came up under the small vessel and crushed it between its massive jaws. Connor roughly pulled her along and yelled at her again. Taking heed, she turned in the direction of the closest island and swam as quickly and with as much power as her body could muster. To her side she saw Connor keeping pace with her even though she knew he could probably over take her. He'd not leave her behind.

They heard the fearful, panicked screams of the Captain and his skipper for a brief moment before they were swallowed up whole along with the debris of the wreckage. Even though their muscles burned with the effort it took to close the distance between them and the shore, Connor and Abby persevered. When there was finally sand beneath their feet, they trudged towards the shore, collapsing in the shallows and turning back in time to see the beast crest the ocean's surface and swim back out to the infinite expanse of the ocean. It had every bit the appearance of a Great White Shark, only its size was inconceivably huge. A conservative estimate was that it measured twenty metres long, with a set of jaws large enough to nearly swallow the fishing boat whole. Had Connor not acted when he had and given them the few extra seconds, there was no doubt they'd have met the same fate as their two companions.

They turned to each other, staring wide eyed and panting for breath. Abby burst into tears and Connor grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her hard on the mouth. There was nothing but desperate, fierce need behind it and they cleaved to each other until the kiss connected them and the attendant comfort of having survived together yet again flowed between them and gave them a center to cling to. They drew apart and Connor wiped her tears and the salt water from her face with a trembling hand. Their arms came around each other and they hugged as tight as their strength would allow.

"What was that thing?" Abby gasped.

Connor pulled back and looked out to the water. "Charcharodon Megalodon. They lived in the late Oligocene, about twenty million years ago, give or take."

"There's an anomaly out there, in the ocean."

"Can't ever seem to escape them, can we? Not even on our honeymoon."

Abby sighed heavily and embraced Connor once again. They fell back to the sand and continued to hold each other for a long stretch of time. When the serenity of the beach and the rhythmic crashing of the waves had lulled them sufficiently, they finally let go of each other and rose to their feet to take stock of the deserted island they now found themselves stranded upon. The shore stretched for at least a mile in each direction before hitting either rocks or an outcropping of palm trees. Behind them lay a lush jungle with verdant and rocky hills, but nothing that could be considered a mountain. All things considered they were in a very fortuitous location. Some of the other islands were sparse but this one seemed to be teeming with life and that meant food. Already they spied fresh coconuts in the trees and another with bananas. If they could find any tide pools with fish or octopus, they'd be well set for nourishment. Locating a possible fresh water source would be vital, but in the interim they'd have the coconut water.

It was barely midmorning, leaving the pair with sufficient time to gather wood for a fire and forage for food. Their absence at the hotel would be noticed in due time, the ARC would be contacted and a search and rescue team would be dispatched, hopefully in something better equipped to fend off the Megalodon that haunted the waters. If they were lucky, perhaps it would be a float plane or helicopter that came to their aid. In the meantime they had to set up camp.

While Abby gathered dried palm leaves from the beach and edge of the forest, Connor sought driftwood and any branches he could break off from the surrounding trees. Furthermore, Abby pulled down vines and dragged them to the beach. They chose a spot where two palms grew approximately six feet from each other. Working together they lashed the vines across in a zig zag pattern along the angled trunks of the trees, creating a mesh that sloped at a forty-five degree angle into which they could weave the palm leaves. If it rained, they'd be reasonably protected and it would keep the sun off them if the day got too hot.

They dug out the area beneath the palms, pushing all the sand forwards until they'd reached a combination of sand and soil, then laid down several layers of palm leaves on to which Connor said he'd lay the sopping wet beach towel he retrieved from his ruck sack, once it was dry. It was then that Abby took note of all he'd stuffed into the thing. One by one he pulled out the items and with each, Abby found herself falling just a little bit more in love with him. When they'd arrived at the hotel there's been a couriered package waiting for Connor courtesy of Becker. How they'd managed to get it in the country or to have had it arrive so quickly was beyond her, but it seemed that the British government sometimes got things done. Now Abby knew just what it was that it had contained. There was serrated hunting knife with a twelve inch blade as well as a Swiss Army knife complete with all its attachments. Furthermore there was a small first aid kit, a few personal hygiene products - including the hotel shampoo bottles and soap Connor had absconded with, and practical things like a bottle of Parcetemal. Since their year in the Cretaceous, he simply thought it prudent to have a survival essentials on hand. The other half of the truth was that he was paranoid about being stranded somewhere again.

"Knew there was a reason I married you!" Abby beamed as she pulled him into a passionate kiss. When she pulled away, his eyes were closed and there was a smile on his face. She kissed the tip of his nose. "Let's sort the wood out. We can use the larger pieces against where we've piled the sand to keep it from falling back on to our bed. The rest we'll use to make a fire."

"Sounds good. I suppose, all things considered, we're in a much better situation than the Cretaceous."

"Doubtful there are any major predators on these islands, possibly wild pigs. The only things that are really dangerous are in water - besides the sharks, there's jellyfish and anemones. Don't you dare get stung! I'm not peeing on you!"

"I'll do my best, love. You should know, if you happen to get stung, I'm willing to..."

"Oh shut it!" They laughed and shared another kiss. "I'm getting hungry, you?"

"Famished! We put out a lot of energy already. We've got the power bars we could snack on."

"We'll save those for the time being. You know when I was twelve I scaled a coconut tree? No one else could manage it. Dad said it was because of my short little legs that I could climb like a monkey."

Connor smiled at her memory. Losing her parents in a car crash shortly after their family trip to the Galapagos had scarred her in many ways, but the memories of her early life were always happy. True to form, Abby was up one of the trees in no time and they had a coconut each. The corkscrew on the Swiss Army knife allowed them to drill into the tough shell and drink the delicious nectar inside. The effort break the outer layers to get to the meat took far longer and was far more difficult than either could have predicted. Eventually, between the two of them and a jagged boulder, they managed it. The bananas were far too under ripe to be eaten, but Abby managed to hack a bunch down after scaling that tree as well. Hopefully they'd ripen quickly.

By late afternoon, both were tired, they had after all been up with the sun to go out on the excursion with the fishermen. "Could do with a nap," Connor yawned, stretching his arms above his head, letting the white vest he wore ride up above his low slung board shorts. Abby echoed his yawn, but shook her head.

"We can't, we need to at least take a walk into the jungle to see if we can find water," she replied, rummaging in the ruck sack for the two thirty two ounce stainless steel bottles. Connor nodded in agreement and took up the hunting knife in its sheath and slipped the clip over the waistband of his shorts. Hand in hand they walked into the forest. They cleared a path as they walked into the dense vegetation. The palm trees along the shore became more scarce, leaving them surrounded by tall, twisted banyan and mangrove trees and some that bore fruits and blossoms. Above them flew brilliantly coloured macaws and a myriad of other bird species. Little lizards scurried upon tree trunks and added to the ambient sound of bird calls and the chitter of hidden small mammals. It didn't take them long to pick up the sound of falling water. They followed it to where they found a small waterfall that came tumbling over a fifty foot crag of rock into a wading pool that emptied into a stream that led deeper into the forest.

As they'd learned in the Cretaceous, flowing water over rocks usually signalled its potability. They took off their shoes and found the water cool and refreshing as they waded out under the falls. They drank their fill and were grateful to wash the sand and salt from their skin. There were small rainbow coloured fish swimming with them, but no sign of any nefarious creatures in the clear waters. With their bottles full they headed back to the beach to start their fire and experience their first night as castaways on a deserted tropical island.

They ate more of their coconut as they got the fire started. They'd gathered more dead wood to see them through the night. In the coming days they'd see about leaving some sort of signal to any passing boats or aircrafts. As the skies turned from blue to orange, then purple, the pair sat side by side looking out to the calm ocean.

"Bit like Robinson Crusoe or Treasure Island, eh?" Connor mused as he stoked the fire. "Loved both those books when I was kid. Mum got me an eye patch and a wooden sword. I was always playing pirate. Dad used to pretend to be Billy Bones on his death bed when I wanted to be Jim Hawkins. Made sense at the time, guess in hindsight it was kinda morbid." Connor worried his bottom lip and Abby leaned in to kiss her husband's cheek. She knew what he meant. His father had endured a lengthy battle with cancer before succumbing when Connor was eleven. It was something they had in common, both losing parents at nearly the same age. Connor had watched his father wither away to practically a skeleton before he'd finally passed.

"No, Conn, it's not. You n' your dad shared a lot in those last months. He was a good man who made his son just as good, and I love him for it. Love you."

Connor blinked away tears at Abby's kind words and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her near. "Love you too, sweetheart. More than anything."

Abby lay her hand to his chest and snuggled close. There was a slight breeze off the water and the scent of the salt mingled with the abundant flowers that surrounded them. Connor's hand came up to cup the side of her face and tip it back as he descended to kiss her. Abby sighed into his mouth and his tongue slipped between her lips to twin with hers. His thumb stroked her cheek as lips and tongues caressed. After a time, Connor began to kiss along her jaw and down her throat, suckling and nipping at her flesh as he went. When he came to the juncture at her shoulder, his hand moved again, this time to untie the strings of her bikini behind her neck.

"You have no idea how sexy you are in this. Always said I'd get you in a bikini one day, didn't I?" he whispered hoarsely and he began to tug her tshirt above her head. Abby mewled and gasped, feeling her nipples tighten and her skin break out in shivers. Their current predicament was soon forgotten when Connor peeled away her bikini top and bent his down to pull her nipple into his mouth. She let out a pained cry that descended into a heated moan when he flattened the hardened bud against the roof of his mouth and sucked. She gripped a handful of his hair and whimpered. Connor soothed the reddened nipple with wet licks with the flat of his tongue. He moved to the other breast and began to suckle, as his hand tugged and pinched the first one. He released her and captured her mouth again, this time his kiss more voracious and hungry. "No sense in letting the honeymoon go to waste, yeah?"

Abby smiled and shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But on the towel, Conn. Don't fancy sand in certain places!"

Clothing was shed along with their shoes, placing all in the rucksack to keep from collecting sand. They ducked into their shelter and Abby lay down while Connor knelt beside her. He kissed over her face and torso as her hands explored his body. When she thought it was about to lay himself over her, she spread her legs in invitation, but instead he maneouvered himself between them and to continue to kneel. She went to question him, then fell silent when he placed his hands upon her knees and glided them up her thighs. They snuck under her bottom and raised her up. Abby let out a sharp cry when his tongue delved deep between her labia and up over her clit. The backs of her knees fell over his arms and he closed his eyes, falling into contented bliss as he began to lap at her sex with slow, savouring strokes of his tongue. When her juices began to flow, he made appreciative groans in concert with the sound of his lips and tongue smacking as he ate at her.

Abby's breath came in heavy pants and her stomach muscles quivered and tensed. Her head tossed back and forth while her hands roamed over her own body. The stimulation was overwhelming her quickly and a few seconds later she was screaming into the night as her core spasmed in strong clenches that Connor prolonged with deep swirls of his tongue inside her.

As her orgasm subsided he set her back down, then crawled over top of her. He settled his weight upon her and eased himself inside slowly, enjoying her whimpers and gasps as he stretched her with his girth and filled her. Once fully sheathed, he gathered her up in his arms and cradled the back of her head in his hands so as to look upon her face. Her knees bent and pressed into his ribs while her hands gripped his shoulders. They stared into each others eyes, seeing the other and the nearby flames of the fire reflected.

Connor surged in deep and Abby let out a shuddering gasp. The intensity between them was instant and all encompassing as they rocked their bodies together. The velvety walls of her channel were snug and hot and Connor found himself faltering already. He was overwhelmed by such love for the woman beneath him, his emotions began to well up inside him. When he remembered how they'd very nearly died this past day, his tears came. The thought of losing his beloved wife terrified him down to his soul. Abby drew him closer so to kiss away his tears and whisper to him how much she loved him. She captured his mouth for a passionate kiss and as they lost themselves in it, beginning to move with more vigor. They let the physical sensations guide them, giving to the other as much as they had their first time in the Cretaceous, the night they'd returned home, and when they'd made love for the first time as husband and wife.

They writhed and surged together, kissing, grabbing and striving towards their mutual release. They caught each other's eyes again and seeing love echoed back, brought them to their peak, then over the edge and falling into complete, exquisite pleasure. Abby threw her head back and cried out, long and loud, rolling her hips against Connor's as he thrust shallow and rapid while growling above her.

Connor's hips jerked as his release left him. His entire body shuddered and he held fast to Abby to anchor himself. Making love to her was always the most extreme experience of his life. Here, completely alone and stranded, she was his entire world. So long as she was in his arms, nothing else mattered.

They held each other for a long time, reigning in their shared tears and taking comfort in the other. The time for sleep was soon upon them and they dressed in the scant clothing they had. Connor had a hoody with him and after an argument over who should wear it, Connor pulled it on and Abby settled with her back against his chest and his arms around her. The fire would last till morning and they snuggled to keep warm under the chill coming off the water.

"Someone will find us eventually," Connor spoke in her ear. "I promise. I said so in the Cretaceous, didn't I?"

"I didn't believe you then, but I do now," she replied, threading her fingers with his. "M' tired Conn."

"Sleep then, love, I've got you." She nodded and fell under quickly. Connor kissed her cheek and looked up at the half moon that hung high in the sky. Here they were again, stranded, alone but together. At least there was that. He'd have gone mad if they'd been separated. Abby sighed softly in her sleep and turned over, burying her face against his chest and snuggling in deep. Connor tucked her up close and closed his eyes, falling into a contented slumber, warmed by his beautiful wife and the love they shared.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next few days on the island were for the most part spent in leisure. They foraged for food, finding crabs and shellfish in the tide pools which they could cook on their fire. Venturing out a little ways into the ocean they found an oyster bed, and stood there shucking and swallowing them down until they'd had their fill. Much to Connor's delight, in the last oyster he opened, he found a rare and beautiful thing to present to his beloved wife. Nestled inside the center was a perfectly formed black pearl the size of a small grape. When he placed it in her hand he promised that when they got home he'd have it made into a pendant for her. The kiss he'd earned for it practically melted his heart.

They were careful not to venture too deep into the ocean, primarily for fear the Megalodon would be circling the waters looking for prey. Abby also hoped the pods of whales that migrated through the waters also avoided the ravenous creature. They did note that the concentration of fish shoals seemed to be closer to the shallow levels than they should be, no doubt driven there by the presence of the prehistoric beast. On the fourth day they spent several hours fashioning spears with which to hunt the large, abundant Orange Roughy that now populated the waters twenty meters out from shore near the rocks. The Megalodon wouldn't be able to swim this close due to the spires of rock that stretched out into the depths. They were safe to swim and hunt as they pleased, though they remained wary.

Abby delighted in swimming with turtles and clown fish around the coral reefs and Connor delighted in watching her. Their nights were spent in each others arms by the fire, making love before sleep. They were reminded of their time in the Cretaceous in some instances, but in others they were well aware how much safer and at peace they were in this place and this time. It was a prefect paradise and the ideal honeymoon for two people who knew how to survive together in the most dire of circumstances. All in all, they felt closer as a couple and more in love than ever before.

They sunbathed nude and the next day, abandoned the idea of clothing entirely, save for the nights when the wind off the water was cool. They added to their shelter, including building a frame of lashed together branches with woven vine and palm leaves that they could lean against their shelter to keep out the chill. They built up their shelter with more driftwood and felt quite proud of their little home. They gathered stones and small boulders to make a fire pit deep in the sand and feasted on fish when they weren't having crab. They didn't want for food or water. They indulged in their love and appreciated the incredible beauty of their island. The dark questions at the back of their minds about when they'd be rescued were set aside during their first week as they continued on with their honeymoon as if they'd planned their escape from civilization.

As they began their second week on the island, Connor and Abby walked hand in hand back into the jungle towards the waterfall and its pool. They came each day for water and to rinse off the salt from their hair and skin. They brought their belongings with them just in case, as losing anything of what little they had would be most unwelcomed. They tossed off their shoes, having worn them to traverse the jungle's rough bed, and jumped into the pool. It was no bigger than the average backyard swimming pool, about twenty feet wide and thirty or so long and approximately ten feet at its deepest point. Swimming naked together was a joy and inevitably ended up with them in each other's arms. The water was cool against the heat of the day and the streams of sunlight that shone down through the canopy of trees glittered on its surface. The water was clear as could be and little tetra and other tiny rainbow coloured fish swam around them.

Connor stood under the waterfall, letting the rush of water sluice over his head and shoulders as he stood with his feet on the solid ground, submerged up to his chest. Abby lay on her back, floating on the surface, gently wading and smiling to herself. She cracked open her eye and looked in Connor's direction. He looked, to her mind, truly beautiful. The plains of his chest and the muscles of his arms enticed her and the way the sun caught the golden wedding band on his finger warmed her heart. The love she felt for him was overwhelming. After the Cretaceous and New Dawn, Connor had very succinctly became her whole world. He was her true family. Jack had proven more than once that the closeness they'd formed as siblings in the wake of their parents' deaths had obviously faded on her brother's side. The fact that he'd not even come to her wedding told her all she needed to know. She couldn't abandon him entirely, but Connor was the most important person in her life.

She turned over and began to swim towards him with naughty little thoughts forming in her mind. She dove under and swam straight up to him. She ran her hands up his legs and he jolted, obviously not having been paying attention. She certainly got it however, when she closed her mouth around his flaccid cock and took him down, beginning to suck on him. Connor faltered and she continued to administer to him until be began to grow hard. She let him slip from her mouth and she breached the surface, climbing up his body to capture his mouth for a deep, hungry kiss.

"Mmm, Abby!" Connor groaned, snaking his arms around her. Abby grasped his shoulders and raised herself up and with Connor's hands going to her hips to guide her, she sunk herself down on him. Her legs closed tightly around his waist as she took him to the hilt. He cupped her bottom and held her firm. Abby bucked her hips into his and thrust herself up and down his length, giving them both wonderful pleasure.

It seemed that they could no longer make love without maintaining eye contact. It stirred such an intensity between them that it heightened the physical beyond a level they'd ever experienced before becoming man and wife. They breathed in each other's panting breaths and moved their bodies against each other in an impassioned friction.

Their coupling in the water didn't last as long as their nighttime joinings by the fire. Connor grunted and dug his fingers into the flesh of her arse and spilled himself deep inside her. Abby felt the heat of his semen flood her and it set her off, her muscles clenching and rippling along the length of him, taking every last bit of what he offered. In the aftermath they held each other close and bobbed in the water. They reluctantly parted and hugged, content and perfect together.

!*!*!

The days passed and they discussed the fact that there'd been no sign of a rescue. They eventually surmised that a certain level of protocol would likely be followed and truth be told there wasn't exactly a coast guard near Rarotongo ready and able to go out in search of a lost boat and its passengers. The British Consulate would have to be contacted and the closest one was probably in Australia. It would take time for the ARC to dispatch help once the British government contacted them. They spent one day forming a massive SOS on the beach out of rocks just in case a plane flew overhead and didn't see them or their fire.

They continued on as usual. They ate well, worked to keep their shelter in good condition and they contented themselves with the beautiful scenery and deepening their bond. However when Connor awoke one morning, two and a half weeks after they'd been stranded, to the sound of Abby vomiting, a fear set in. He scampered out from their shelter and stumbled towards where she was on her knees with her hand against the trunk of one of palms to steady herself as she brought up part of the food she'd consumed the night before. She groaned, cried and heaved again, her entire body seizing. Connor was there a moment later, his hands on her waist to support her.

"Abby?" he begged, looking upon her with wide eyed concern. She shook and sobbed and finally when her stomach was empty, she went limp. Connor pulled her near and moved her hair away from her sweaty face. He moved her back and leaned her up against the trunk of the tree a moment as he dashed back to the shelter to fetch one of the water bottles. Abby coughed and wiped at her tears and sniffed. She accepted the water bottle as Connor put the top to her lips. She swished her mouth out and spat the water towards the spot she'd been sick before taking a few gulps of the liquid. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm okay now," she spoke, barely above a whisper. When he placed his hand on her knee, she covered it with her own. "Probably the oysters we had yesterday. We shouldn't have been eating them raw anyways, even though they're supposed to be an aphrodisiac." She smiled at him, trying to make light of the situation. "I woke up and felt super queasy, then it was all I could do to get outside before I tossed up. I feel better now for having done it. I just ate too much and too much of the wrong thing. Promise."

"You really okay, Abbs? You're not hiding something serious? Have you got a fever?"

"I'm fine, Conn, don't worry. I wouldn't keep it from you if it was something more than food poisoning. I think I'm just going to take it easy today. I feel pretty drained, still dizzy."

Connor sighed and nodded before helping her up and guiding her the short distance to the shelter. Abby crawled back inside and balled up Connor's hoody under her head for a pillow. She shivered and winced, the nausea still with her. He knelt beside her and stroked her hair, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Why don't you go back to sleep, yeah?" he suggested. "The last bunch of bananas are just ripe. Maybe you'll be able to eat some later? Maybe best to stay away from the seafood for today, until your stomach settles."

"Good idea. Thanks, Conn."

He leaned forwards and brushed his lips across her forehead. "I'll get us some fresh water and see what I can rustle up for me breakfast. You, just rest. I won't be long." Abby nodded her head and shut her eyes, trying to relax even as another wave of nausea hit her.

Hours later she awoke feeling much improved. She still felt a little weak, but the intense waves of nausea weren't hitting her like they had been that morning. Connor was nearby, sitting in his shorts on the beach just watching the waves. She grabbed a couple of bananas and one of the water bottles and went out to join him. She sat down in the sand and he looked over at her with deep concern. She kissed his lips and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Don't worry anymore," she spoke. "It's passed. I'm hungry!"

Connor let out a sigh of relief and threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her near. He continued to hold her as she ate her fruit and drank her water. He felt guilty for her being sick. He'd been the twit to tease about raw oysters being an aphrodisiac. From now on they wouldn't take chances with what they ate, everything would be well cooked. Something as simple as a bacterial infection could end in death without antibiotics to treat it. His fear came back tenfold.

"I couldn't cope if anything happened to you. I just couldn't," said Connor, finally breaking the silence. Abby looked to him and saw the fear behind his dark chocolate eyes. She reached up and touched his cheek with her fingertips.

"Nothing's going to happen to me."

He shook his head. "I know, I know, but... it's... You're the strong one, Abby. You're the strongest person I've ever known."

"I'm _really_ not. I can tell you this now, because we're together, because we're married..." She sighed heavily and looked out to the water, blinking back tears.

"Abby?"

"In the Cretaceous when you would go to get us fish... as... as... as soon as you were gone I broke down and cried myself sick almost every time. I always managed to get myself together before you came back. You have no idea how much it took to hold it together when you were near. That's why I snapped at you so often, because I couldn't handle how depressed and scared I was. You were the strong one there, not me."

Connor took in her words. They'd shaken him quite profoundly. She'd kept it hidden from him then, and after they'd returned. "Abby? What about when I was working with Philip? The nights I didn't come home?"

"I cried myself to sleep when you weren't there."

The guilt he felt at her words cut him deep.

"I'm so sorry," he spoke in a hushed tone, choking on the emotion of having caused her pain. Abby cupped the side of his face and stroked her thumb across his trembling bottom lip. "You're wrong though!" he persisted. "You _are _strong. If it wasn't for you I'd not have come through New Dawn. I'd not have been able to come back. When we were in that bunker in the future and you told me that I had to come back, so we could be together, be married, it filled me with such hope. You fought for me and for us. You gave me all the strength I needed. In fact, every day I've lived since we met in the Forest of Dean has been because you've given me purpose. Loving you and being worthy of you has made me the man and I am, and if I am strong, it's because you've needed me to be. Maybe it works both ways?"

She kissed him then, humbled and heartened by his words. He spoke the truth. They gave each other a reason to fight for each day. They drew apart slowly and rested their foreheads together, hands caressing and the love flowing between them.

The next day Abby was queasy, but didn't have another episode like she did the morning before. She decided to sleep a couple of extra hours and felt like herself again by the time morning had passed. She ate the fish Connor cooked for lunch and supper and aside from feeling rather sleepy all day, assured her husband she was fine. The next morning however found her throwing up on and off for the next several hours. Aside from taking in the water that Connor insisted she drink, Abby refused any sort of sustenance.

As the sun set and Abby moaned and whimpered in their shelter as she lay in a tiny little ball wrapped in his hoody, Connor started praying.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Abby sat alone by the water's edge as the sun rose upon their twentieth day on the island. Connor was still sleeping in their shelter, unaware she'd left him. She still felt unwell with the nausea sitting at the back of her throat. She felt exceptionally tired still, but she'd needed time alone to think. She'd nap in the afternoon and hopefully persuade Connor to join her and hold her as she slept. She was going to need him more than she ever had before. She blinked back tears and tried to find the courage she knew she'd need.

She heard Connor call out for her, then move in her direction as soon as he spotted her. He placed his hoody around her shoulders and she smiled to herself. He sat down beside her and she welcomed his contact when he placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her near.

"Have you been sick again?" he asked, the worry evident in his voice.

"No, not this morning. Wish I could have a cup of tea though," she replied, rubbing her hand over his knee and thigh. "Do you remember that first morning after we'd come back from the Cretaceous?"

"Course. We watched the sunrise together."

"Happy here with you, still am." She turned and kissed the corner of his mouth and his arm tightened around her. "How many days have we been here?"

"Twenty, counting today."

Abby looked out to the water, observing an albatross hanging motionless upon the air. "I figured it out, Conn. Why I've been sick, why I'm so tired... I think I could be pregnant." His sudden intake of breath confirmed what she'd suspected, that the thought that it was morning sickness she'd been experiencing hadn't even crossed his mind. She hoped it at least assuaged some of his fears about her condition to know she wasn't being attacked by some sort of disease. She sighed and patted his knee. "You remembered to pack toothbrushes, but it didn't occur to you to pack my birth control, huh?"

Connor took his arm from around her shoulders and ran his hand over his face. "This is all my fault..."

"It's not about fault, Conn. We have a pretty active sex life, have since the Cretaceous. It was bound to happen eventually."

"Not... not that. That we're stranded. Abby, we can't have a baby _here_! I'm so bloody stupid! Why didn't I pack a global transmitter for them to pinpoint our location? Anything that could help them locate us! No, I was too busy thinking about bloody toothpaste and nail clippers!"

Saying nothing, Abby took him by his wrist and guided his arm back around her shoulders. She closed her eyes against the sun's rays and huddled against her husband's chest.

"My mum and I were extremely close," Abby began to explain. "People used to tell her they were envious of how well we got on and how much time we spent together. I always imagined that one day I'd have a daughter and we'd be just as loving. When you and I were in the Cretaceous and we were daydreaming about the future we'd have when we got home, you said you wanted to be a father someday."

"I do..."

"And I wanted to be a mother. I know we both meant sometime in future, when you'd solved the enigma of the anomalies, but life happens whether you plan it or not. You said you believed we'd be rescued and given the situation, I have no choice but to continue to believe you. The alternative is too scary."

Connor wanted to reassure her as best he could. However he couldn't deny that he was terrified. If Abby was pregnant, the risk for her and their child was immense. It was almost too much for him to process. But one thing was certain in his mind, he'd do everything in his power to take care of them. His arm came under her knees and the other around her back, lifting her into his lap and tucking her head under his chin. His arms wrapped around her and he hesitated for a moment, before placing his hand lower, over her abdomen. Abby's hand fell to cover his. They tightened their hold on each other and closed their eyes, relishing their closeness and the belief that their love had created a new life.

"I love you, Abby. I'll do me best to keep you both safe," he spoke softly, solemnly.

"I know you will. Hold me for a while?"

"Never letting you go, Abbs. Never."

!*!*!

"Was thinking..." Connor hedged, glancing over at Abby as they walked hand in hand towards the part of the beach where the rocks stretched into the ocean and it was safe to hunt for fish. Since figuring out that the reason behind Abby being nauseous and overtired was due to her possibly being pregnant, both of them had been feeling far more at ease with at least one aspect of their predicament. However, the fact that they already loved their baby to be didn't change that they were stranded on a deserted island. They could weather the months to come as they had been if need be, but if they hadn't been found by the time Abby was ready to give birth, there'd be serious, scary times ahead for them.

Connor stopped them and laid down the spear he used for fishing. He turned to Abby and smiled. They'd gone back to spending their days in the nude and he looked over her body appreciatively, imagining her changing as the baby grew within her. He splayed his hand out over her abdomen and his smile broadened.

Abby reached out and cupped the side of his face, stroking her thumb over the apple of his cheek. "You were saying?" she encouraged.

"Was thinking, love, that if we have a girl, we should name her after our mums. Meredith Alice Temple. We'll call her Merry for short, like Merry from The Lord of the Rings!"

Abby laughed and felt tears come to her eyes. "My gran used to call mum Merry too."

"Perfect then, yeah?"

"Much like my husband." She drew him in and wrapped her arms around his neck as she caught his lips with hers for a deep, loving kiss. Her hands tangled his his hair, then down his back to cup his arse and give it a squeeze. Connor rumbled deep in his chest and mirrored her actions, lifting her up and encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. She obliged and he held her to him, his the length of his growing erection pressed to her sex. She rubbed herself against him, stimulating herself and creating a strong friction between them. Connor staggered and then dropped to his knees. They were close to the shore and a wave crashed over them, drenching them and knocking them to the sand.

Too caught up in their sudden passion to care, they continued. They rolled together in the sand until Abby was on top, straddling Connor's hips. She took his cock in her hand and then eased herself down upon him until he was fully sheathed. Her head fell back and she gasped audibly as she ground herself down upon him. Connor sat up and wove his fingers through the wet tendrils of her hair, kissing her again - hot, wet and open mouthed with tongues dueling. Abby moved her hips in urgent, quick circles, wanting as much sensations as possible, not wanting to be slow and savour their coupling. At night by the fire they were slow and gentle. Out here she wanted to be wild and free.

As the waves crashed over them every few seconds, Abby truly began to ride Connor, hard and fast. She broke off their kiss and bit into his shoulder, muffling her cries of pleasure and causing him to cry out. Suddenly she was flipped beneath him and he was driving into her. She grabbed his arse again and Connor stilled as he arched above her and came with a load moan. As he ground against her Abby waited and then her own orgasm was upon her, stealing her senses and causing her entire body to shudder as pure pleasure coursed through her as the waves continued to surround them.

Connor collapsed beside her panting for breath. Abby laughed lightly and sought his hand to hold. "Intense," she breathed.

"Yeah..." Connor replied, a dopey grin on his face. "Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that on? Just me talking about baby names?"

"Pretty much."

Connor rolled on to his side and ran his hand down the length of her body. "What are we going to call 'em if its a boy?"

!*!*!

Together they swam back to shore, Connor with the spear clutched firmly in his hand, an Orange Roughy upon it. They emerged from the ocean and took hold of each other's hands for the walk back to their camp. Along the way they kissed and talked, mostly about the fact that despite their situation, they hoped Abby truly was pregnant. The loved they shared was too grand, too deep to live just within them and the baby would embody all they'd come to mean to each other as soul mates.

They were too wrapped up in each other to notice that when they came around the dense grouping of palms that flanked their shelter, that they were not alone. In fact, there were at least a dozen newcomers to their island. When Abby looked up and noticed them, she let out a shriek and Connor promptly ushered her behind him to hide her nude body from the group of men. Dressed in gray camouflage with an insignia on the chests of their uniforms, the members of the Royal Australian Navy turned to look upon the castaways. Connor straightened his back and tried to obscure his manhood with his catch of the day. From the center of the group, one man emerged, one not like the others. He was dressed head to toe in black and looked highly amused at the situation.

"Becker!" Connor and Abby exclaimed in unison.

Becker smirked at the pair and tried to keep himself from bursting into laugher. "Temples," he replied with a nod. "Nice fish." Connor rolled his eyes. "Have you two any idea how much trouble you've caused?"

"Trouble? It's not our fault there's a bloody prehistoric Megalodon out there swallowing fishing boats whole!" Connor protested.

"Was, there _was _a Megalodon. I nuked it."

Connor arched an eyebrow and Becker merely grinned. One of the officers brought Becker the couple's rucksack and passed it to them. Connor passed Becker the speared fish, which he reluctantly accepted. The others all turned around to give Connor and Abby privacy as they dressed.

"What do you mean, nuked it?" Connor asked as he pulled his shorts up.

Abby pulled her t-shirt over her bikini, then her shorts and lastly, tapped Becker on the shoulder, letting him know she was dressed. "Yeah, I didn't think the Australian Navy had nuclear weapons," she spoke.

"Let's just say, the Commonwealth has special privileges the rest of the world needn't know about and leave it at that," Becker explained. "Lester sent me to find you two and while I was debriefing the men here, a tech from one of the submarines had some questions. Being as the anomalies went global in the wake of New Dawn, he wondered if something they'd picked up on their scans could've been one. Their readings came from an area that was on the search pattern for you, so we decided to take the submarine out for a spin. When the creature swallowed us whole..." As Connor and Abby gathered up their belongings and the group walked to where the rigid-hulled inflatable boats awaited them to return them to the submarine that waited out in the ocean, Becker explained.

The Megalodon had essentially swallowed the submarine. Some damaged to the hull was sustained, but the vessel remained intact. They hadn't time to debate a plan of action. Becker ordered the navigator to push forwards with full power deep into the belly of the beast. Meanwhile, Becker verily shoved the Lieutenant at the weapons console out of his chair and immediately armed the missiles to launch as the submarine maneuvered away. When the charge exploded, the Megalodon was blow apart and they were free.

"How does a submarine survive in a contained nuclear blast? Shouldn't you have been obliterated with the shark?" Abby inquired as they reached the boats. Becker merely grinned at her and offered his hand to help her into the vessel. Connor slid in beside her and wove his arm around her waist. As they set off, the pair looked back behind them at the place that had been their home for the past three weeks. It was with a definite sadness they left it behind. It had been a safe haven, an escape and a paradise. They'd been reminded of what it meant to be together and how they were bonded down to their very souls. They survived together, just as they'd always had done and always would. They'd keep nothing but happy memories of their honeymoon and always remember their island as they place they'd conceived their first child, should their suspicions prove to be true.

They looked to each other and kissed, ready to return to the world and leave their paradise behind.

!*!*!

They'd been given a hotel room in Sydney and were booked on a flight with Becker back home the next morning. Their luggage had already been brought over from the hotel on Rarotonga. After boarding the submarine, they'd been taken back to Australia. After a meeting at the hotel with the British Consulate and they were assured everything was in order as far as their official status was concerned, they were shown to their room to spend the night. Once they were behind closed doors, they immediately headed for the bathroom to shower. They felt similar to when they'd returned from the Cretaceous - not quite part of the world, despite being back in it. It felt good to wash themselves under the hot water, trading kisses and caresses as they did so.

When they were done, they felt the pull of sleep beckon them to bed. Warmed and drowsy, they ambled towards it dressed in the hotel robes. As they were pulling down the duvet, a knock came to their door. Connor motioned for Abby to sit upon the bed and he'd answer. The man on the other side was obviously from the Royal Australian Navy, dressed in a formal uniform. Connor stared at the tall man for a moment before giving his head a shake.

"Can I help you?" Connor asked.

With a curt nod, the man took out the white envelope from underneath his arm. "For Mrs. Abigail Temple," he explained as he passed it to Connor before saluting and departing back down the length of the hallway. Connor looked at the envelope with a furrowed brow. It had the insignia of the Royal Navy on it and Abby's name printed on the front along with the instructions "TO BE OPENED BY ADDRESSEE ONLY" stamped in bold red letters. Connor closed the door and frowned, a little confused by what could be contained within. Their transport home had been relatively quiet and uneventful. They'd both seen the medic who'd checked over their vitals and take blood samples to ensure they'd not contracted any bizarre tropical diseases. They'd been given quarters to sleep in and had done just that for the hours they'd been on board.

"Conn?" Abby called, snapping him out of his thoughts. He sighed and came to her, finding her sitting in the middle of the bed, the damp tendrils of her hair framing her face. So many days in the sun had brought out her freckles most prominently and he adored them. He smiled and joined her on the bed, passing her the envelope. She seemed just as confused as he was. With trepidation she opened it, pulling out what looked to be lab results, she honed in immediately on the highlighted portion and read it. A smile formed on her lips. "My hCG levels are elevated," she spoke.

"And that means...?" Connor asked, still perplexed.

Abby set the papers aside and brought her hands up to cup his face. She looked into his eyes and stroked the apple of his cheeks with her thumbs. "It means that I really am pregnant. We're having a baby, Connor." She watched on with love as his face crumpled and his bottom lip began to tremble. Tears pooled in his eyes before spilling over and wetting her fingers. She leaned in and kissed him and he made a shocked, wounded sound as he pulled her closed and returned her kiss with such a passion, Abby nearly swooned.

She found herself being laid back upon the bed and her robe pulled open and Connor kissed his way down her body until he came to her abdomen. His hands caressed her hips and pelvis as he pressed full, deep kisses to where their new creation was nestled. She couldn't have been more than a couple of weeks along, it was so new and early, but it was there.

"Hello Merry," Connor whispered and Abby heard him. "It's Daddy. I love you."

Abby felt a shiver run through her body, moved by the depth of her husband's love. As he continued to rain kisses on her, she cajoled him with running her fingers through his hair and over his back and shoulders. At length she encouraged him to come to her and he did, gathering her up in his arms and holding her as they stared into each other's eyes. Their robes were cast aside and they fell into each other, coming together as they had countless times on their island.

Ever since Abby had lost her parents, she'd hoped for a moment like this. Since her family had been taken from her, she'd wished for one of her own. Her life had taken her on many detours and she'd endured dark, despairing times, but the hope had remained, despite her best efforts to quell it and save her the continued pain of disappointment. She knew in this moment why she'd never been able to let it go. Connor on the other hand felt as if he was caught up in some sort of divine miracle. He'd loved Abby pretty much from the moment he'd met her. He'd held fast to that love as she'd rejected him, as life had put obstacles in his path and he'd questioned his own worth. The proof was there now, growing inside Abby, that all they'd both needed was time for their lives to align and give them what they'd both been missing. They'd made each other whole.

The End


End file.
